D.J. Smith

Brand & Marketing Leadership | CMO @ Just Love Coffee Roasters

About

Most brands don’t have a marketing problem — they have a clarity and brand management problem. When the story isn’t clear, teams work hard… and customers feel nothing. That’s what I fix. I build brand clarity, then I build the operating rhythm to execute it across every touchpoint — stores, packaging, digital, campaigns, and the day-to-day decisions that shape the customer experience. I’ve spent 20+ years leading brand strategy and marketing execution. As Chief Marketing Officer at Just Love Coffee, I helped scale the brand from an emerging concept to 50+ locations nationwide, setting the positioning, standards, and governance that keep a brand consistent as it grows. What I’m known for: • Brand strategy & positioning (voice, standards, consistency at scale) • Integrated marketing across physical + digital experiences • Marketing operations (cadence, approvals, workflows, cross-functional execution) • E-commerce and lifecycle marketing tied to measurable growth • Team + agency leadership with a high creative bar A few results I’m proud of: 40% year-over-year growth in online sales after overhauling the e-commerce experience and lifecycle email marketing Loyalty growth to 262,000+ members, with 11.5% adoption growth and 14% higher purchase frequency 95% increase in team output over three years (230 → 497 projects) while improving quality through stronger governance and workflows Earlier in my career, I founded and led an agency, which gave me a deep respect for practical execution: great strategy only matters if the work is delivered on time at the right level to generate results. I'd love to connect with you, so don't hesitate to message me here or reach me at djsmith-connect@gmail.com.

Country

United States

City

Nashville

Industry

Marketing & Advertising

Skill

Integrated Marketing, Layout Design, Strategic Brand Positioning & Messaging, High-Performance Team Leadership, Customer Engagement, Project Management, Presentations, Image Design, Computer Graphics Design, Illustration, Adobe Creative Suite, Typography, Social Media Graphic Design, Color Theory, Graphic Design Principles, Attention to Detail, Adobe InDesign, Adobe Illustrator, Strategic Communications, Marketing Strategy

Experience

Brand & Marketing Leadership | CMO

Just Love Coffee Roasters

2011-9 - Present · 15 yrs 1 mo

Brentwood, TN

Early-stage executive leader instrumental in building the brand from an emerging concept into a 50+ store national footprint, leading brand strategy, creative direction, and integrated marketing execution. ▪️ Established brand positioning, architecture, and creative standards that enabled consistent execution across 50+ locations nationwide. ▪️ Directed marketing support for new location openings, seasonal campaigns, and limited-time offers (LTOs), aligning storytelling, guest experience, and in-store activation to drive engagement, loyalty, and repeat visitation. ▪️ Defined and governed the brand’s creative quality bar, overseeing approvals, creative standards, and brand consistency across packaging, digital, in-store, and campaign touchpoints. ▪️ Designed and deployed a scalable marketing operating system, including ClickUp workflows and weekly leadership cadence, improving speed, visibility, and execution quality. ▪️ Oversaw brand communications and channel strategy in partnership with internal teams and agency partners, ensuring alignment across creative, social, and guest-facing touchpoints. ▪️ Established brand enablement frameworks, including marketing training within operational onboarding, interior design standards for brand environments, and market analysis tools to support execution across locations. ▪️ Recognized for excellence with the Home Office MVP Award for leadership impact and Silver Davey Award (2024) for packaging and brand storytelling.

Head of Marketing | Founder

Talstone Group

2001-3 - 2011-9 · 10 yrs 7 mos

Nashville, TN

Built and led the agency marketing function, combining brand strategy, campaign execution, and operational discipline to run concurrent large-scale projects, mentor team, and deliver consistent brand experiences. ▪️ Directed marketing strategy and execution across multiple brands, leading multidisciplinary teams on concurrent large-scale projects to deliver consistent, premium brand experiences. ▪️ Developed and implemented brand strategies, including positioning, identity systems, packaging, and digital campaigns, driving measurable improvements in engagement, conversion, and overall business outcomes. ▪️ Led multi-channel marketing campaigns spanning digital, print, packaging, and experiential touchpoints, ensuring high-impact, consistent brand storytelling across channels. ▪️ Developed and deployed operational systems for marketing execution, including project management workflows and recurring leadership meetings to improve efficiency, surface blockers, and maintain project cadence. ▪️ Mentored and coached team members, fostering professional development and strengthening creative judgment across design and marketing functions. ▪️ Established internal training and enablement programs for client teams, standardizing brand execution across channels and markets. ▪️ Directed integrated marketing programs to support multi-location client launches, seasonal initiatives, and key brand moments, demonstrating scalable execution capabilities. ▪️ Partnered with senior client stakeholders to advise on brand evolution, growth strategy, and premium consumer experience initiatives. ▪️ Recognized with Davey, Hermes, and Communicator Awards for excellence in brand storytelling, creative execution, and innovation.

Graphic Designer

Ingram Entertainment

1999 - 2001 · 2 yrs

La Vergne, Tennessee, United States

▪️ Created visual marketing and promotional assets for nationwide entertainment distribution campaigns supporting major film studios and retail partners. ▪️ Collaborated with cross-functional teams to ensure creative met brand, legal, and distribution requirements across multiple retail channels. ▪️ Produced high-volume marketing materials under tight timelines, building early discipline in quality control, versioning, and stakeholder review, foundational to later brand governance leadership.